A Nightmare's Jewel
by Lady Galaxious
Summary: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about Meta Knight's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs. Rated T for future blood, violence, and character death. Show based, not game based.
1. Prologue: A Spider On the Wall

**Description: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about MK's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs.**

**Rated T for future blood, violence, and character death**

**Disclaimer: Trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective owners, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. I do not own any character in this story, only the plot line. My OCs are mine, but their idea is based on Nintendo characters.**

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_- Prologue: A Spider on the Wall -_

In the oldest part of the universe sat a barren planet, devoid of all native life. The planet, known as Ezoruma, was trapped in eternal darkness, for its sun had burnt out long ago. There was no moon, and only a few stars glittered weakly in the sky. Below them, on the dried up ground, was an ancient castle.

In this once mighty structure, an alligator-like humanoid treaded heavily down one of the many torch lit stone corridors, its armored tail dragging behind it. In its deep thought, the creature was unaware of a tiny shadow that was sneaking behind it.

The hallway soon ended at a pair of giant wooden doors covered in elegant designs. The creature hesitated before opening the large doors and stepping into the dark room beyond. The small shadow that had been following the creature quickly ran after it, the massive doors almost slamming shut on one of its eight metal legs.

As the doors closed with a soft thud, they blocked all light, plunging the room into total darkness. The robotic shadow cautiously crept forward, trying to find the creature it had been following. Unsuccessful, it scanned the area, noticing how the far end of the room was darker than the rest, if that was at all possible.

Curious by design, the spider-like robot blinked, its vision changing to heat vision. The spider backed up slightly, for right next to it was a massive clawed foot, belonging to the creature it had been following, its bulky figure glowing a dark blue. The creature was currently kneeling with its head bowed.

Looking forward towards the other side of the room, expecting to see a heat signature, the robot was confused to find that it was just as dark as before. Blinking again, it changed its vision once more, this time to show energy signatures. The brighter the signature, the stronger the owner was. The alligator glowed dimly next to the robot, while the far end of the room was ablaze with light, so much that it hurt the robot's artificial pain sensors found in its pair of optics.

Squinting at the extremely bright energy signature, the robot noticed an even brighter area next to it. However, the owner of the brighter signature was much smaller in size than the other, only being a bit bigger then the robot itself. Pondering on how this could be, the robot almost gave away its cover as it jumped in surprise, for the creature next to it suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. Scrambling to activate its audio recording system, the robot listened quietly.

"My lord," the creature said in its rough and accent heavy voice. The larger in size of the two energy signatures on the other side of the room shifted slightly in response before speaking.

"What is it, General Dracul? You better have something important to report for you to disturb me," a chilly voice replied, sounding angry.

"C-certainly, Lord Nightmare...A large group of demons got ambushed by the Galaxy Soldier Army while on patrol. Only me and a few other higher-ranking demon beasts escaped. The rest were all slaughtered..."

"That is none of my concern. If they were weak enough to die, they deserved to die. Now if that is all, leave my presence. Be grateful I'm too busy to punish you for your foolish mistake of bothering me. You know as well as I that I've killed others for much less."

"Of course, master, but...as we retreated I might of told them that..." General Dracul trailed off, not wanting to finish.

"What _exactly_ did you tell them?" Nightmare's words were like drops of poison.

"That...that they would be sorry they ever stood against the mighty, and the all-powerful if I might add, Lord Nightmare once we...released Nightmare's Jewel on them..." General Dracul replied hastily.

"**You did what!**" Lord Nightmare screeched, his voice shaking the whole foundation of the ancient castle. Particles of the stone ceiling fell as the structure threatened to collapse. "**Do you realize what you've done**?"

"But Master! If only you would send it into battle, the war would quickly be over with us as the victor! No more demon beasts would get killed, and you could be the emperor of the entire universe! I see no need to prolong the inevitable. It's already plenty powerful as it is; we don't need to wait any longer! With a single wave of its hand it could single handily take out those pathetic Star Warriors once and for all, and then the Galaxy Soldier Army would soon follow suit. With its leaders gone, they wouldn't stand a chance!" General Dracul argued, standing up straight.

"**Silence!** I'll decide when to put him into the war, but not a moment too soon! He isn't old enough yet!"

"Why does it matter? Even if the Star Warriors somehow do manage to destroy it, it can be replaced!"

"How dare you talk about my s-...jewel that way! Do you not realize how much work and time was put into creating him? Countless millenniums! Now, be gone before I change my mind on sparing you!" Nightmare snarled in rage.

"Yes...Your Highness," General Dracul replied reluctanly, bowing slightly before turning to leave. As he started to leave, the spider-like robot took one last glance at the smaller, but stronger, energy signature, before jumping onto General Dracul's plated tail. General Dracul, not sensing the hitchhiker, made his leave, the elegant doors slowly closing behind him.

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**This is the first fanfic I've ever got the courage to publish, and all I can say is I hoped you liked it! **

**I'm up to questions, comments, and concerns, so feel free to review! Critiques on errors are welcomed as well. Alerts, favorites, and reviews can only help speed up the next chapter and raise my morale, so please do so! **

**Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Meeting

**Description: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about Meta Knight's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs.**

**Rated T for future blood, violence, and character death**

**Disclaimer: Trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective owners, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. I do not own any character in this story, only the plot line. My OCs are mine, but their idea is based on Nintendo characters.**

**A/N: One thing I need to mention real quick. The italics in this chapter represent a flashback of sorts from the last chapter. **

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_- CH 1: The Meeting -_

Only three miles away from the ancient castle, was a small cave opening, hidden amongst the mountainous terrain of the planet. If one were to glance at it from the outside it would appear as a simple den that belonged to one of the extinct native creatures. However, if you were to walk inside, you would discover that the den-like cave was actually an opening to a massive underground cavern system. These natural caverns had been expanded even more to accommodate almost all of the Galaxy Soldier Army. The expansive underground system acted just like a city, entirely self-functioning.

There was a main cavern system, with many side passages jutting off that led to smaller caverns. It was in one of these side caverns that all twenty-two leaders of the Galaxy Soldier Army gathered. In front of the group of Star Warriors stood a light green puffball with golden armor, its design resembling a star. Next to him, on a wooden table, was the spider robot. The light green puffball turned to face the other Star Warriors, lavender eyes scanning the crowd, before speaking with the kind of confidence only gained by leading for countless years.

"As you all are aware of, a group of our senior soldiers recently ambushed a group of demon beasts. They eliminated the majority of the demons, with no casualties on our side. The remaining demon beasts fled, and as they did so they gave away a crucial piece of information. Information saying that Nightmare may possess something which could end all of us. In order to see if the intelligence is true or not, we sent in the Intelligence Retrieving Ilmenite System, or Iris for short. I'd like to once again thank Sir Nonsurat for inventing Iris."

"Thank you, Sir Arthur," Sir Nonsurat, a teal puffball with white armor replied with a nod of his head, before Sir Arthur continued.

"Now, if you would Iris, replay all audio retrieved." The onyx colored robot made a small clicking sound in compliance, the recorded audio starting to play...

_"My lord," a creature said in its rough and accent heavy voice._

_"What is it, General Dracul? You better have something important to report for you to disturb me," a chilly voice replied, sounding angry._

_"C-certainly, Lord Nightmare...A large group of demons got ambushed by the Galaxy Soldier Army while on patrol. Only me and a few other higher-ranking demon beasts escaped. The rest were all slaughtered..."_

_"That is none of my concern. If they were weak enough to die, they deserved to die. Now if that is all, leave my presence. Be grateful I'm too busy to punish you for foolish mistake of bothering me. You know as well as I that I've killed others for much less."_

_"Of course, master, but...as we retreated I might of told them that..." General Dracul trailed off._

_"What exactly did you tell them?" Nightmare's words were like drops of poison._

_"That...that they would be sorry they ever stood against the mighty, and the all-powerful if I might add, Lord Nightmare once we...released Nightmare's Jewel on them..."_

_"**You did what!**" Lord Nightmare screeched. "**Do you realize what you've done**?"_

_"But Master! If only you would send it into battle, the war would quickly be over with us as the victor! No more demon beasts would get killed, and you could be the emperor of the entire universe! I see no need to prolong the inevitable . It's already plenty powerful as it is, we don't need to wait any longer! With a single wave of its hand it could single handily take out those pathetic Star Warriors once and for all, and then the Galaxy Soldier Army would soon follow suite. With its leaders gone, they wouldn't stand a chance!" General Dracul argued._

_"**Silence!** I'll decided when to put him into the war, but not a moment too soon! He isn't old enough yet!"_

_"Why does it matter? Even if the Star Warriors somehow do manage to destroy it, it can be replaced!"_

_"How dare you talk about my s-...jewel that way! Do you not realize how much work and time was put into creating him? Countless millenniums! Now, be gone before I change my mind on sparing you!"_

_"Yes...Your Highness," General Dracul replied._

...With the recording over, Sir Arthur spoke up again.

"Thank you, Iris. Based on this recording Iris acquired, we can now confirm that Nightmare did indeed create something capable of wiping us all out. What exactly it is, I am unsure of, but I do know action needs to be taken immediately to ensure that whatever it is doesn't get a chance to attack."

"Well, it could be a weapon," a yellow puffball spoke up, his purple armor and mask shined to perfection.

"Nah, it can't be. Nightmare said it wasn't old enough. Plus, Nightmare called it a he," a dark green puffball with a red mohawk countered. Soon the cavern was full of noise as the other leaders started to ponder and argue on what Nightmare's so called Jewel could be. Amongst the chaos, hidden partially in the shadows at the back of the cavern, stood a puffball with his blue cape wrapped around his body. He stood there in silence for a while, eyes pink with amusement, before he stepped out of the shadows and spoke.

"I think I know what, or rather who, Nightmare's Jewel is." All eyes turned to the blue figure and the cavern went silent. The figure's pale yellow eyes darted around the room from behind his round mask, before his continued. "It is his son, the Prince of all the Demon Beasts and heir to the throne." Immediately the room plunged back into chaos as the other leaders started to argue against the blue figure, one voice louder than the rest.

"That's impossible! Nightmare could never love anything, 'specially not enough to call it his son!"

"Now hang on, Sir Falspar," Sir Arthur said, raising a gloved hand for silence. "What he said does make sense. Let's give Sir Galahand's idea a chance." Sir Falspar lowered his gold eyes down in submission as Sir Galahand nodded at Sir Arthur in thanks.

"Now, as I was saying, I believe Nightmare has-" Sir Galahand started.

"Wait. Sorry to interrupt, but what makes you think that this Jewel could be his son, not just a powerful demon beast?" a purple colored puffball asked, the sky blue puffball turning to face him.

"Well, Sir Dragato. For one, Nightmare almost said it straight out. Of course though, he can't let his creations know he's gotten 'soft'. Most importantly though, if you had a son as well, wouldn't you be reluctant to send him into battle at the risk of his life, even if it would mean you'd win the war? Would winning the war be worth losing your son?"

"Well...no. Nothing would be worth my son's life," Sir Dragato replied simply.

"Exactly my point. With him being the son of Nightmare, he also would be heir to the throne if Nightmare ever perished. That being said, I think that this heir could easily have power that could rival, if not outmatch, Nightmare's own. That is exactly why I think we should try to convince this Prince to fight alongside us. It is the only way we will ever defeat Nightmare and end this war, without countless more civilian and soldier casualties!" At this point everyone was yelling at his idea.

"The mere idea of having one of those horrid creatures fighting alongside us is not only preposterous, but also disgraceful, much less the idea of having the _Prince_ of them helping us!" Sir Dragato argued.

"But, if you'll only listen-" Galahand replied, trying to get them to see his point as the other leaders continued with their ranting.

"**Enough**! Now, Sir Dragato is right. I won't have one of those demons in my army. Demon beasts are soulless, mindless creatures of pure evil made only to kill. It is our job as Star Warriors to ensure that the universe is cleaned of all evil, and we shall do just that. We are to lead an attack on Nightmare's fortress tonight. With him focused on the main attack, a smaller squadron of our strongest warriors will infiltrate the castle. Their mission will be to find this Prince and eradicate him before he has a chance to attack," Sir Arthur explained.

"Sir Arthur, you can't do this! The Prince will be young, a mere child. An innocent child! Our job as Star Warriors is to protect the innocent as well, not just bring peace! It would go against the Star Warrior code!" Sir Galahand tried, begging that Sir Arthur would see that it was wrong. Demon beast or not, Sir Galahand had a deep feeling of concern for the Prince. He couldn't explain it, but something told him that if they killed the Prince, the universe would never be free.

"Sir Galahand, no demon beast is innocent. You know as well as everyone else in this room how demon beasts kill anyone, even women and children, without mercy. The Prince will do just that. He is no different from the other countless demon beasts that we've killed. Since you feel so strong against this, you will stay here as to not disrupt the mission. You were to lead the squadron that is carrying out the infiltration mission, being as you are vice-leader, but now I will have Sir Galacta lead," Sir Arthur gestured to a fuchsia colored puffball, white armor gleaming in the artificial light. The pink warrior bowed, white cape ruffling with the movement. With a hidden smirk, Sir Galacta's pink eyes glanced at Sir Galahand.

"It would be an honor, Sir Arthur."

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**A/N: Few questions I want to answer now incase someone is curious.**

**1. What does Illmenite mean and why is it in Iris' name? Well Illmenite is a black metal used to make titanium. It is used where light weight and high strength is needed. It is what Iris is made out of, so she has a shiny black color. Also, Iris is one of my OCs. She is the size of Meta Knight's hand and has a pair of purple optics(eyes). This isn't that last time she'll be seen.**

**2. Sir Galahand is also one of my OCs. He will play a large part in this story, partly since his is second in leadership of the GSA only to Sir Arthur. His skin is a ice blue, while his shoes are a dark blue. His eyes are very pale yellow. His shoulder pads are black with silver accents, and his cape is the same shade of blue as his skin. On the bottom of the cape, on the part that would drag the ground, is a dark blue border line. In the center is a large star design, the same color as his shoes. His mask is identical to Meta Knight's, and you'll find out why later on. **

**3. On the difference between Star Warriors and the Galaxy Soldier Army, the Star Warriors are the leaders of the Galaxy Soldier Army. All of them get the warp stars, but only Star Warriors get power from theirs. Also, all Star Warriors are puffballs. There are twenty-three leadership positions in the Galaxy Soldier Army, each with a different task, thus there are twenty-three puffballs. Currently, there are only twenty-two leaders, since the last puffball was never found. That will also be explained later on.**

**4. Also, if you didn't catch on, Sir Galacta, also known as Galactic Knight, doesn't have his wings or horns.**

**As always, I'm up to questions, comments, and concerns, so feel free to review! Critiques on errors are welcomed as well. Alerts, favorites, and reviews can only help speed up the next chapter and raise my morale, so please do so! **

**Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Raid

**Description: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about Meta Knight's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs.**

**Rated T for blood, violence, and future character death**

**Disclaimer: Trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective owners, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. I do not own any character in this story, only the plot line. My OCs are mine, but their idea is based on Nintendo characters.**

**A/N:**

**_italics_**** = thoughts**

**_'italics'_**** = telekinetic speech**

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_- CH 2: The Raid -_

Sir Galahand sighed, looking down at his plate as he pushed around his food. No matter how hard he tried, Sir Arthur refused to call off the attack. He did manage to get Sir Arthur to permit him to participate in the attack, but he got assigned to the medic team. Their job was to pull wounded soldiers off the field and give them treatment. Sir Galahand still wouldn't be able to aid his comrades in the fight, but it was better than nothing.

Sighing again, he looked up at the other soldiers in front of him. All the soldiers stationed at the base had gathered for a feast before their siege on Nightmare's castle. Many of them were conversing with friends, laughter sounding throughout the large cavern. Sir Galahand wondered how many of them wouldn't return from the battlefield.

Sir Dragato had just finished with the battle plan, and the outcome of success was lower than they had planned. The overall goal was to lead the main force of troops in a large-scale assault directed at the front of the castle's walls. If all goes to plan, Nightmare would be coaxed out of his stronghold, leaving his castle unguarded. The problem though was, with Nightmare out on the battleground, all of the senior warriors would be needed on the frontlines. That left only the younger recruits to infiltrate the castle.

"Galahand," a voice next to him spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts. Looking to his right he found two pairs of eyes staring at him in worry, belonging to Sir Nonsurat and Iris, whom of which was sitting on Sir Nonsurat's shoulder. "What's bothering you? You looked worried."

"How could you tell, Nonsurat?" Sir Galahand said with a slight smile. Sir Nonsurat was his closest friend. He was always there for him in those stressful times of war when he needed some cheering up. Despite Sir Nonsurat's quiet nature, the medic was actually fun to be around if you knew him well.

"I've been around you long enough to tell when my friend is upset," Sir Nonsurat said with a chuckle. "Now, tell me. What is it?" Sir Galahand sighed once again, looking back into the crowd of cheerful warriors.

"It's the attack, Nonsurat. Everything about it seems wrong. I can't explain it, but every fiber of my being is screaming at me that this is a terrible idea. How many of these soldiers won't come back? I know Sir Arthur wants to get this war over as soon as possible, everyone does, but this isn't the way to do it," Sir Galahand said with a shake of his head.

"To be honest, I agree with you Galahand. I too feel that this isn't the way to go. However, we do not know what the nature of the Prince is. Being created with Nightmare's DNA, we must assume he will be like his father. Yet, for that same reason, I feel it is wrong to kill such a creature. Since he was made using DNA, he will have a soul, unlike the majority of the other demon beasts. If we can in fact capture him, we might be able to switch him to our side. Being young, he won't completely be corrupted by Nightmare's influence," Sir Nonsurat explained, taking a bite of his food.

"Do you really think so?" Sir Galahand asked.

"Most definitely. I've studied the way Nightmare has given machines essences. That is what I based Iris here off of. Of course, she doesn't have the bloodlust that the demon beasts have, but she does have a personality. Nightmare perfected that same art so that he can create flesh and blood creatures with a soul. The difference between the two is that while the machines natures are programmed, the flesh and blood ones have a choice, same as you and I. In all reality, they are the same as us, the only difference being that they have the influence of Nightmare on which path they take. If we separated one of his creations at a young age from him, they will be able to choose their own path, with nobody influencing them."

"You know, I'm glad that you are on our side, Nonsurat. I'd hate to have someone so smart working for Nightmare," Sir Galahand said with a smile, eyes pink. Sir Nonsurat just chuckled.

"If you think me so smart, then you best listen to my advice and eat up. A hungry warrior on the battlefield soon becomes a dead warrior on the battlefield." Sir Galahand shook his head in bewilderment, before taking up his friend's advice.

...

Sir Galacta paced back and forth near the exit of the cavern where the army was assembling. He had been waiting for ten whole minutes and none of his assigned squadron had shown up yet. It was utterly humiliating. He was third in command over all the army, and yet the soldiers assigned to him had the audacity to make him wait for them. Just as he was about to go to Sir Arthur to complain, a group of seven recruits started to approach him after walking out of the mess hall. They were talking to themselves, one of them laughing and giving another a playful shove. A feeling of dread fell over Sir Galacta as the group of recruits came closer.

_Surely these can't be the soldiers assigned to me..._, Sir Galacta thought with alarm. One of the young recruits, an elf-like humanoid with purple-pink skin wearing navy and gold armor, walked up to him, a sword at his hip. His yellow hair was ruffled, almost covering his hazel eyes that were full of youthful innocence. A metal shield was strapped to his back.

"Greetings, Sir Galacta. My name is...uh... J-Jecra, sir, and may I say, sir, it is an absolute honor, sir, to be assigned under your leadership, sir" the boy, Jecra, greeted with a wide grin, outstretching a gloved hand. Sir Galacta ignored the boys offer for a handshake, staring at him and the other six recruits instead.

Without replying, Sir Galacta instantly turned around, marching towards where Sir Arthur was standing, leaving the boy dumbfounded. A female of the same species as Jecra, the only girl out of the seven recruits, walked up to Jecra and patted him on the shoulder with her gloved hand. Her skin was lavender, and her slightly darker lavender hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, a few strands of it falling onto her face past the green band she wore around her forehead. She had on light blue leather armor, her skirt being of darker blue leather. Her violet eyes were full of worry.

"Hey, it's alright Jecra. I'm sure he just remembered something important that he forgot to tell Sir Arthur. I know you got all excited when you heard that we were being assigned to Sir Galacta, since he is your role model," she said gently.

"I know, Garlude...it's just I totally messed up. I stuttered multiple times even! And why did I have to say sir so many times! He probably thinks I'm a total idiot now! I can't believe I embarrassed myself like that, and in front of him even! I'm such a failure!" Jecra said with a sigh as he threw his hands up hopelessly, looking depressed.

"You can still prove yourself to him on the battlefield, Jecra. So don't be so down about it. Everything will turn out just fine. You'll see."

...

Sir Galacta was furious at Sir Arthur. How dare he disgrace him like this. He was supposed to be in charge of an elite force, not babysitting some youngsters! Fists clenched in anger, Sir Galacta approached Sir Arthur, overhearing what the golden armored leader was discussing with to an orange and green puffball.

"I want all the airships to be at the ready for when it's time to retreat. We will need to leave this planet after the attack, since Nightmare will have learned of our base's location. Make sure everyone knows that we are heading to planet Zantor next. There are some soldiers stationed there that are in need of pick up," Sir Arthur finished. Following orders, the orange puffball ran off into the bustling crowd. Seeing his chance, Sir Galacta stepped up.

"What is the meaning of this, Sir Arthur?" He asked, his anger not very well hidden.

"The meaning of what, Sir Galacta?" Sir Arthur asked, confusion evident in his voice as he turned to face the white armored puffball.

"I was told I would be leading a group of our strongest senior warriors, but instead I got stuck with a bunch of new recruits! I can't possibly work with them!"

"Now, now, Sir Galacta. It is the best we can do. All other Star Warriors are needed on the field, as well as the senior soldiers. We will be lucky as it is not to take heavy casualties. Those recruits are the best of their class. They've been trained for battle."

"Being trained the basics doesn't mean they are trained for battle! They'll get killed in two seconds, and they'll end up making me get killed with them!" Sir Galacta argued, waving his gloved hand around in anger.

"I'm sure you are more than capable to handle them, Sir Galacta. As long as you tell them what to do, they'll be fine. You are our best fighter we have. If anyone can keep them alive, it is you. Besides, it is too late to change the plan now. It is time to depart and start the attack," Sir Arthur said, turning and walking away.

"Sir Arthur, you can't do this to me!" Sir Galacta yelled at the retreating figure, but his words fell on deaf ears. Eyes burning red, Sir Galacta walked away with a growl.

...

As the army marched, they soon left the protective mountains behind as they entered the now desert-like plains of the dead planet. The dust storms that ravaged Ezoruma helped to cover the Galaxy Soldier Army from Nightmare's sight for most of the long trek over the completely flat expanse, but not all. The weary soldiers were gracious when the harsh winds stopped pelting dirt and sand onto them, but with the storm over Nightmare now had a clear view of them. With the castle just in sight, it was no surprise to find demon beasts of all sizes waiting for them. The warriors had little time to react before they were charged by the monsters

...

"Lord Nightmare," a tiny demon beast, that appeared to be an armadillo-cat cross, squeaked, its tiny paws moving as fast as they could down the hallway after Nightmare, who stopped and turned at his name. The demon beast tried to catch its breath once it caught up, but an impatient growl from Nightmare made it speak up. "The Galaxy Soldier Army has been spotted marching this way! I think they're going to attack!"

"What! Those insects dare attack my castle directly!" Nightmare screeched, clenching his fists. He glanced down the hall in the direction that he was heading, looking like he was contemplating something. With a snarl he glanced down at the tiny demon beast.

"Continue the departure to the newly constructed space station as planned. I'll handle the army myself, but I have something I need to do first. In the meantime, have some of the more _expendable_ demon beasts meet the Galaxy Soldier Army," with that, he continued down the hall at a faster speed.

"Yes, master," the demon beast replied before scampering off.

...

Sir Arthur jumped back, landing lightly on the ground, as a pair of deadly, venom dripping fangs sunk into the ground where he had been standing a mere moment ago. The outsized fangs belonged to a mighty snake demon beast. As the monster struggled to get its fangs out of the dry ground, Sir Arthur ended its life with a swift slice of his golden sword, severing the snakes head. As the body fell to the ground, static coming from both halves, Sir Arthur jumped away from it, right as the body exploded into nothing.

Glancing around, Sir Arthur noticed the airships had arrived, waiting for when they retreated. He also observed that none of the demon beasts on the field were of a high ranking or skill. They were all low level ones. With no time to ponder over the matter, Sir Arthur ran over to where Sir Galacta and his team were waiting for the signal to go. Seeing as the frontline had moved far enough away for him to have time to talk without worry, Sir Arthur got Sir Galacta's attention.

"Sir Galacta, start moving you squadron into position. Once you see Nightmare join the fight, I want you to move in. You'll have to find a way in. Remember your assignment. We will hold off for as long as we can. Once you return, we will withdraw," Sir Arthur explained. Sir Galacta just nodded in reply before running off, the seven recruits struggling to keep up.

...

Nightmare opened the doors to the heir's room, scanning the room for the Prince. The room was much too bright for Nightmare's taste, elegant stained glass windows letting in the faint starlight. An old diamond chandelier hung from the ceiling, the starlight twinkling off of the rare crystals. Not spotting the Prince, Nightmare walked in. He was about to say something when he heard a muffled giggle coming from above him.

Looking up, he was bombarded by blue as something jumped on his face, clinging to one of his horns and almost knocking of his shades. The giggling continued as Nightmare stumbled backwards, a frown on his face. Carefully snatching the wiggling figure off of his face with his claws, Nightmare sat it in his palm and raised it to eye level. With a stern face he looked at the giggling figure that was rolling around on his palm. Unable to hold it anymore, Nightmare smiled and prodded the blue sphere with one of his claws, helping it to sit up.

"I got you good, didn't I Daddy!" the blue figure laughed, red eyes full of glee.

"Yes, son, you did," Nightmare said with a slight chuckle. "How'd you get on top of the chandelier?"

"I've been practicing my flying!" the Prince said, two fangs flashing in a grin. "Watch!" Spreading a pair of tiny purple bat-like wings, the Prince jumped off of Nightmare's palm, landing on the purple and gold carpet gracefully. "See!"

"That's very good, son. I'm very proud of you...wait, where are your guardians?" Nightmare asked confused, looking around.

"Oh, those losers? They couldn't keep up, so we ditched them in the hallways a long time ago," the Prince said casually, folding his wings neatly behind his back.

"Son," Nightmare said sternly," you know they are there for your protection. You can't just 'ditch' them. You...wait. What do you mean _we_?"

"Oh, I made a new friend!" the Prince said, purple feet jumping up and down in joy.

"And where exactly is this _friend_?"

"Hiding behind the curtains. She thought you might get mad if you learned that she was friends with me, so she hid when I sensed you heading this way. I told her that it would be fine but she insisted." Nightmare raised a brow and walked over to the heavy purple and gold curtains that were draped on the windows while the Prince rambled on. Pulling aside the curtain, Nightmare saw a tiny red bundle pressing itself against the wall. Frowning, he picked it up by its scruff, brought it to eye level, and turned it to face him. Golden eyes blinked innocently at him.

**'**_I'm sorry, master. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to offend you by playing with the Prince, it's just that we were both lonely and bored and wanted to have some fun. Please don't hurt me...I promise I won't do it again...**'**_ the bundle said telepathically.

"What is your name, demon beast?" Nightmare said, inspecting the monster. Red fur adorned her small body, with a lighter red mane just starting to come in. A green gem was on her forehead, and tiny red nubs were on her back. Nightmare remembered making her now. She was one of the new models of demon beasts. The newer models grew just like regular creatures, starting out as newborns and aging into adults.

**_'_**_It's Wolfwrath, sir.**'**_

"Well, Wolfwrath, you better be respectful of the Prince. From now on, you aren't to cause any more trouble," Wolfwrath's ears drooped as she looked at the floor, "while you play with the Prince." Wolfwrath's ears instantly shot back up as her tail wagged.

**_'_**_Thank you master! I won't let you down!**'**_

"See to it that you don't," Nightmare said as he gently set Wolfwrath next to his son. "I want the two of you to stay in here till I come to get you. You aren't to go through that door for anything. Do you got that?"

"But, I'm hungry!" the Prince complained, licking his fangs.

"I'll bring you back a Star Warrior then," Nightmare replied as he closed the door behind him.

...

Sir Galacta's eyes searched the battlefield, watching as the other Star Warriors and the soldiers cut through Nightmare's demon beasts. He had managed to sneak around enemy lines without him or his seven recruits getting spotted. Now, he was waiting for Nightmare to appear so they could continue on. Glancing behind him, Sir Galacta noted that the recruits tensed every time a shriek of the dying pierced the air. Shaking his head, he faced the battleground again. It was hard to make out in the darkness, with only stars and some torches aiding in the lighting, but he was able to spot the dark haze that formed over the battleground like fog. The haze soon formed into a familiar figure which belonged to Nightmare.

With his signal given, Sir Galacta gestured to the recruits to follow him. Pacing down along the base of the castle wall, Sir Galacta spotted a small door that looked like it had been unused in sometime. It must have been a servant entrance for the previous inhabitants of the castle long ago. As they approached the rusted door, one of the recruits spoke up.

"How are we going to get in?" the green cylinder shaped recruit asked, gold eyes showing from beneath his helmet. Without breaking stride, Sir Galacta raised his pink and white lance up. He instantly swept it back down, an arch of white energy shooting out, causing the wooden door to break into a thousand of splinters. Without waiting to make sure the others were following, Sir Galacta walked through the shadowy doorway. Shifting his grip on his spear, the green recruit quickly darted after Sir Galacta without another word. The recruits remained silent as Sir Galacta took the lead, navigating down the dark and surprisingly empty hallways. The castle corridors were like a maze, different paths constantly intertwining. Soon, the recruits were completely disoriented. They were currently coming up to another intersection.

"Do you kno-?" the green recruit tried to ask as a white glove slammed over his mouth, jostling the red tassel on the recruit's helm. The recruit was pressed against the wall into the shadows, the other recruits following by example, as they stood there in silence. The recruit was going to ask what they were doing, when suddenly the floor shook. A giant bear demon beast wearing purple and gold metal armor lumbered through the intersecting passageway, completely oblivious to the trespassers hiding in the shadows nearby. With the danger passed, Sir Galacta removed his hand that was covering the recruits mask. With a silent glare at the green recruit, Sir Galacta continued on.

Feeling stupid, the green recruit slowed his pace so he was at the back of the group. He walked in silence for a while as he brooded to himself, inspecting the stone floor as he walked. The recruit quietly sighed, looking up to see where they were at. His yellow eyes widened as he saw that he was now alone. Starting to panic, he ran down the hall he was currently in, trying to find the rest of his team. His metal shoes rang throughout the castle as he frantically searched, the recruit not paying attention to where he was going.

He soon regretted being so reckless as he came around another corner, the bear demon beast from before staring him down. Gulping, he stopped on the spot and tried to run back the way he came. He was too slow though, and the bear swatted at him with one of its massive paws, one of its razor-sharp claws barely nicking him. Nonetheless, he was sent flying into the wall with a thud, the sound of clanging metal ringing throughout the silent castle.

Groaning, he shook his head, eyes blurry. He hardly noticed as a pink and white figure jumped onto the bear's back, directing the demon beast's attention away from the recruit. Vaguely aware of a tug on his shoulder, he let the force pull him to his feet, where it tried to steady him. His vision now focused, he realized it was Sir Galacta who was fighting the demon beast.

"Come on Nick, we have to get out of here! Why'd you wonder off like that! You're lucky Sir Galacta found you!" Jecra said trying to get him to follow. However, before they could escape, the recruits were blocked off by all different sizes of demon beasts that had been drawn to them by the sound of battle. As the monsters closed in on them, red eyes hungry for a fight, the recruits watched as Sir Galacta got slammed into the stone wall of the corridor from a direct blow of the bear's powerful paws.

Blood started to leak out of his mask, one of his eyes dimmer then the other from where one of the bear's claws scrapped the eye. Shaking his head, Sir Galacta tried to stand up, only to be slammed back into the wall by the bear monster again, its claws slicing though his side, blood splattering onto the ground. He didn't move from where he landed.

Unsure of what to do now, the recruits formed a circle with their backs together, weapons drawn. The demon beasts that surrounded them didn't come any closer though, choosing instead to remain right out of sword's length as they growled threateningly. The recruits were confused, but they didn't let their guard down. Shuffling nervously, the recruits were surprised to see the demon beasts suddenly part, allowing one of their own to come closer, his armored tail dragging along the ground.

"Isn't that General Dracul?" Garlude whispered in surprise to no one in specific.

"Why, yes, girl. I am General Dracul, and may I say it is an honor for you to meet me," General Dracul replied arrogantly. "Now, how did a group of pipsqueaks like you manage to stray so far from the pack and sneak into Nightmare's castle, hmm?" Silence answered in response, causing him to sneer. "Well, not that it matters really. We're abandoning this hunk of dirt for a much better base currently as we speak, so _how_ doesn't really matter. _Why_ on the other hand...tell you what. You all surrender, tell us what you're doing in here, and then we'll let you go. Sounds good? It's a win-win situation. I get information to put me on Nightmare's good side, and you get to go free with your life. Hmm, what do you say? Deal?" General Dracul offered, hand lazily playing with the hilt of the sword on his hip. The recruits uncertain exchanged looks, until Nick stepped forward, speaking on his own accord.

"We accept your offer." Garlude's eyes grew wide in alarm, and she shook her head, also stepping forward.

"No we don't!" She turned to face Nick. "Nick, how could we possibly surrender? We can't betray our comrades like that!"

"We have to, Garlude. It's the only way we will live," Nick turned to face General Dracul. "We were supposed to assassinate the Prince. Now, can we go free?" General Dracul just smiled and shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, _Nick_. Take them as prisoners. If they fight back, kill them," With that, the demon beasts charged, aiming to grab hold of the recruits. Five of the recruits dropped their weapons, not even putting up a fight. Jecra and Garlude on the other hand glanced at each other and nodded.

Moving in sync, they dodged the claws and pinchers intending to snatch them. Garlude landed gracefully on the head of the demon beast that tried to capture her, her sword swiftly plunging through its skull, killing the monster instantly. Jecra missed his landing, but he quickly spun around and blocked the monsters counterattack with his shield before decapitating it. General Dracul watched in amusement as the two struggled to slay the demon beasts and remain free at the same time. Their luck didn't last forever and soon they were snatched up from behind by a large red bug-like monster of some kind, its pinchers threatening to crush them if they struggled.

"See, what did I tell you? You had no chance of ever getting out of here and struggling only made it worse for you. You four," General Dracul ordered pointing to the assortment of demon beasts that held the other five recruits, "take the prisoners to the new warships and load them into the holding cells for when we depart." The demon beasts nodded in compliance, lumbering off with the struggling recruits in grasp. "Mistahi," he pointed to the giant bear that was standing watch over the fallen Sir Galacta," load that Star Warrior in the special confinement cell. I'm sure Nightmare will have fun with that one." Mistahi lowered her head, ears back as she growled dangerously at General Dracul, almost seeming like she wasn't going to obey, before she bowed her head in compliance. Picking up Sir Galacta in her jaws by his bloodstained cape, Mistahi ran off quickly, her long legs taking great strides. When she rounded a corner and disappeared from sight, General Dracul turned back to face Garlude and Jecra with a smirk.

"As for you two, I have something special planned for you. I think it's time for you to meet the Prince."

* * *

**One question I'll answer ahead of time...**

**1. Why does Meta Knight have fangs? Well, he is a vampire of course! Not the sparkly kind or anything...if he ever was to stop drinking blood, he could eat small portions of regular food to sustain him, but his power will decrease. Thus, he isn't as strong, fast, etc. At first, I didn't really like that, but after reading some fanfics and seeing some fanart, I've gotten used to knowing him as a vampire.**

**Also, two more of my OC's were seen in this chapter. Nick, a GSA recruit, and Mistahi, a demon beast. They won't play huge roles, but they will be seen again in other chapters.**

**As always, I'm up to questions, comments, and concerns, so feel free to review! Critiques on errors are welcomed as well. Alerts, favorites, and reviews can only help speed up the next chapter and raise my morale, so please do so! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, and to those who have added this story to their favs./alerts list.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Prince

**Description: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about Meta Knight's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs.**

**Rated T for blood, violence, and future character death**

**Disclaimer: Trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective owners, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. I do not own any character in this story, only the plot line. My OCs are mine, but their idea is based on Nintendo characters.**

**A/N:**

**_italics_ = thoughts**

**_'italics'_ = telekinetic speech.**

* * *

_- CH 3: The Prince -_

Garlude and Jecra landed on the ground hard, their breath being knocked out of them as they were tossed none too gently into a large room. The young recruits caught one last glance of General Dracul grinning murderously at them before the door slammed shut, sealing them in. They stayed frozen in fear as they exchanged glances before turning and inspecting their new surroundings.

The room's air was chilly, more so than the hallways, causing their skin to crawl. The atmosphere of the room however was very contrasting, giving off a comforting aura that gave them a sense of ease. Magnificent purple curtains were drawn open, allowing the faint starlight to filter through the stain glass windows. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, dappling the lush purple carpet below in the reflected starlight. Jecra and Garlude laid there in awe as they took it all in, until they suddenly became aware of footsteps running their way, coming from a corridor that split from the room they were currently in. The two started jumping to their feet, reaching for their weapons until they remembered that they had been disarmed by General Dracul before being tossed in there.

Clenching their fists in apprehension, they stood there waiting for their fate as the noise came closer. Suddenly laughter broke the near silence, Garlude and Jecra giving each other confused looks. The source of the laughter rounded the corner, followed by something of a slightly larger size. The larger of the two figures was what appeared to be a red dog or wolf demon beast of some sort, six small round stubs on its back.

The other figure, the one laughing, was what puzzled Garlude and Jecra the most. It had the blue body, purple cheeks, and purple feet of a Star Warrior, but its eyes glowed the crimson color of a demon beast. Resting on its head was a small gold crown with purple gems inlaid in the precious metal. What was the most shocking feature though was the pair of leathery purple wings that was fanned out proudly beneath a make-shift cape that appeared to be of the same material as Nightmare's cape.

The two demon beasts were completely oblivious to the two recruit warriors standing by the door. They continued to chase each other, the Star Warrior like one of the two swinging a wooden play sword at the wolf demon beast. The wolf demon beast easily dodged the sword, jumping back with a growl as it scampered away. The blue demon beast jumped in the air, its purple wings pushing it through the air after the other demon beast. Landing on the wolf's back, the blue demon beast grabbed a hold of one of the tiny nubs of the wolf's back as the wolf tried to buck him off. The nub was too small to provide much grip however, and the blue demon beast fell off, landing on the ground with a thud. Smiling, two little fangs flashing, the blue demon beast started to get up, about to chase after the wolf again, when it suddenly froze, spotting Garlude and Jecra. Seeing the other demon beast freeze, the wolf followed its gaze, it too freezing upon spotting them. The four stared each other down, no one brave enough to make a move. Slowly, the blue demon beast got onto its feet, tilting his head at Garlude and Jecra.

"Who are you?" The blue demon beast asked, startling the two warriors at first. Unsure if they should answer, Garlude decided to respond.

"My...name is Garlude. This here is Jecra," she said as she gestured to the boy next to her. "We are soldiers from the GSA," Garlude replied, unsure if it was wise or not to tell the demon beast that. The demon beast just nodded, unconsciously licking his fangs, making the two warriors uneasy. "Who...who are you?" Garlude asked, not thinking. The demon beast just continued to stare at them, its crimson gaze seeming to be inspecting their every being. "Are...are you the Prince?" Garlude continued, eyes lingering on the sparkling crown on the purple demon beast's head. The demon beast glanced at Jecra, then back at Garlude.

"I am," the Prince replied, flexing his wings arrogantly. "What are you doing in my chamber?"

"We were to retrieve some information for the Galaxy Soldier Army and went on a recon mission in the castle but got captured," Jecra spoke up, being sure to not tell the whole truth. The Prince tilted his head again, watching Jecra. "They took the rest of our group somewhere else, while we got tossed in here."

"Oh..." the Prince replied simply, seeming to debate on something, before he spoke up again. "Why do you work with them? Don't you know that what you are doing is wrong and pointless?" the Prince finally asked.

"What...?" Jecra asked, confused.

"The Galaxy Soldier Army. They fight against my father's cause. Why do you fight for them and their false cause?"

"Uh...well the GSA fight for freedom, for liberty, for hope. Our goal is ever-lasting peace so that future generations can live in happiness without fear of nightmares. How is that a false cause?" Garlude asked, take a step forward as she defended the cause she would die fighting for.

"My father told me he works to cleanse the universe of all inferior species so that the one true race can reign supreme like it has to be. The inferior races like you are mistakes that have to be corrected in order for the universe to continue. He says you lesser beings fight for peace, but peace can never exist with mistakes. The GSA is blind in their cause"

"You are the one who is blind, Prince. Can you not tell that your father lies to you? Have you not seen what he does? If he truly wanted peace, he wouldn't have started this war. If you really want to fight for peace you would help us escape from here and in turn help the GSA in their cause," Garlude finished hopefully, the Prince smirking as she ended.

"Although I still don't like you or agree with you and your cause...I will help you escape," the Prince said watchfully, Garlude and Jecra not believing their ears. However, as the Prince said this the red wolf demon beast, who had been cautiously watching the warriors, whipped its head towards the Prince.

_ 'Prince, I don't think that is such a good idea!"_

Garlude and Jecra looked around uncertainly as the voice spoke, the voice seeming to be originating from the minds. Jecra quickly leaned closer to Garlude.

"D-did you hear that too?" Jecra asked in alarm, noticing how the Prince seemed to be chuckling silently at them in amusement. Garlude just nodded slowly in response.

"It'll be fine, Wolfwrath," the Prince said looking at the wolf demon beast next to him. "Plus, it'll be fun. A lot more fun than being stuck here, I know that much. It won't hurt anything to have a little fun."

_'You aren't supposed to play with your food, Prince.' _Garlude's and Jecra's eyes grew large at the word food, each of them taking uncertain steps away from the pair of demon beasts. _'Plus, Lord Nightmare did tell us not to leave this room. You wouldn't want to anger him, would you?'_

"Well actually, Father told us to not go through those doors," the Prince gestured to the giant main doors that Jecra and Garlude had been tossed through. "He never said anything about leaving through the secret passageway I found a while ago. Besides, even _if_ he did say we couldn't leave at all, he would never find out," the Prince shrugged, starting to walk off towards a seemingly random tapestry that spanned from the room's ceiling to the stone floor, his make-shift cape ruffling behind him as he walked. The tapestry was one of the many hanging on the walls, and it appeared to of once depicted something, probably a member of the previous royal family that lived in the castle before Nightmare took it over. Time, however, had faded the colors, leaving the tapestry worn and indecipherable.

The Prince stopped when he reached the base of the tapestry, glancing over at the two uncertain recruits who had not followed him. The Prince sighed impatiently, the two warriors uncertainly making their way over to him, Wolfwrath taking position behind them. Once they reached him, the two young warriors noticed how the bottom of the tapestry would slowly rise and fall ever so slight as if it were being pushed by a slight gust of wind. They didn't have time to ponder long though as the Prince grabbed the tapestry and pulled it aside, revealing the cause of the draft. A narrow passage lay beyond, the mild breeze pushing even colder air against Garlude and Jecra, making them shiver as their hair was ruffled slightly by the moving air. The sound of dripping water could be faintly heard coming from within the darkness beyond.

The Prince motioned for them to take the lead, neither of the two fully wanting to go into the dark tunnel. However, they knew it was either this or certain death, so what they wanted really didn't matter. Glancing at Garlude, Jecra hesitantly reached to grab her hand. Feeling the sudden warmth against her palm, Garlude faced Jecra and smiled gently, leaning in to the given warmth. Blushing slightly, Jecra quickly looked back to the tunnel, hoping the darkness hid his embarrassment. Garlude turned back to face the tunnel as well. Each of the recruits taking a deep breath together, hand in hand, the two stepped into the darkness and into the unknown.

* * *

**A/N: ****Slight pairing of Garlude and Jecra there, but it won't be seen much. I see Jecra and Garlude as being best friends, with Jecra having a secret crush on Garlude. Again, that won't be a huge part of this story, at all.**

**On the fact that Meta Knight, aka the Prince, was speaking a little off when he was first talking to Garlude and Jecra, it was because he was quoting his dad, Nightmare, so there is a lot of bigger words and stuff that he wouldn't normally use being young and all.**

**As always, I'm up to questions, comments, and concerns, so feel free to review! Critiques on errors are welcomed as well. Alerts, favorites, and reviews can only help speed up the next chapter and raise my morale, so please do so!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4: The Escape

**Description: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about MK's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs.**

**Rated T for future blood, violence, and character death**

**Disclaimer: Trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective owners, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. I do not own any character in this story, only the plot line. My OCs are mine, but their idea is based on Nintendo characters.**

**A/N: **

**_italics_ = thoughts**

**_'italics'_ = telekinetic speech**

* * *

_- CH 4: The Escape -_

The dark tunnel soon closed in on the group as it got narrower, forcing them to walk single file as Jecra took the lead with Garlude trailing right behind him. The walls of the tunnel, which Jecra was starting to believe was a natural cave, was rough and covered in moisture. Water dripped occasionally from the ceiling, landing silently onto the floor beneath. Agitated growls broke the near silence occasionally, Jecra guessing they were coming from the red demon beast, Wolfwrath. Treading on in the complete darkness, Garlude glanced anxiously over her shoulders back at the two demon beasts. Red eyes glowed eerily in the darkness back at her, and she quickly whipped her head back around fearfully.

Garlude was unsure how long they had been traveling in the unknown tunnel, it felt like ages, but she knew they couldn't have been in there too long. She was starting to panic slightly, the darkness being so great she was unable to see Jecra in front of her, and it caused her to think she was all alone in the never ending darkness. Straining her eyes to try to see something, anything, Garlude was unprepared when Jecra suddenly gave a startled yelp in front of her as he crashed into something face first, groaning. Not ready for the sudden stop, Garlude ran into him. The two recruits stumbled back together, the Prince having to back step quickly to avoid being crushed. Luckily, Wolfwrath had been trailing behind slightly or else he would have bumped into her and stumbled as well.

Holding his aching head, Jecra staggered forward, hand feeling around for what he had run into. The gloved hand met something wooden, before it trailed down, landing on a handle. He had run into a door. Turning the handle, it screeched in stubbornness as it refused to budge. Frowning, Jecra grabbed the handle with both hands, putting all his strength into it. The handle finally gave way as it turned completely. Grinning in satisfaction, Jecra pushed to open the door, only to find that it too refused to budge. Sighing in slight agitation, Jecra stepped back before he slammed his shoulder into the door, his full weight behind it. The door instantly gave way, leaving Jecra to launch forward due to his momentum.

Landing face first in something soft, shoulder aching, Jecra looked up to see torches hanging on the walls surrounding him, their fire dimly lighting up the small building. Said building appeared to be an abandon stable, one that would have probably been near the rear of the castle. No animals currently resided in the ancient stable, however. Only the moldy pile of hay Jecra was currently lying on remained.

Garlude, who had remained in the tunnel, unsure if it was safe, walked out into the dim lighting, chuckling quietly at Jecra. Offering him her hand as he turned over to his back, Jecra nodded in thanks as he got pulled to his feet. The two turned to face the Prince as he walked out, excitement showing in his red eyes. He was followed by an aggravated looking Wolfwrath.

_'Finally, we are out of the water-cursed tunnel,'_Wolfwrath spat, a growl coming from her throat. She shook her mane, steam rising off her coat as she dried herself. The Prince chuckled at this, surprising Jecra and Garlude, before he jumped on Wolfwrath's back, patting her gently between her ears.

"It's just a little water, nothing you can't handle. Besides, it was worth it, wasn't it? This is our first time we've ever been out of the castle, Wolfwrath! Could you imagine what it's like out here? To be honest, I wasn't even sure if the tunnel would lead out of the castle or not. I never really explored it before," the Prince said excitingly, red eyes darting around the stables curiously.

"Wait, so that tunnel could of just of been a dead end! For all you knew, it could have even ended in a giant chasm!" Garlude shouted angrily, being carefully to not raise her voice to much in case other demon beasts were near.

"Doesn't really matter anymore, does it?" the Prince replied evenly. "Anyways, if it _had_ ended in a giant chasm, as you put it, you two suddenly screaming as you fell to your death would have given me and Wolfwrath enough time to stop before we fell to our deaths too. Why do you think you two were in front?" Garlude just huffed and looked away, crossing her arms. She wasn't going to argue with a demon beast who was trying to save their lives...err, well...was somewhat trying anyways.

While the three had been talking, Jecra had wondered towards the door. Peaking around the doorway carefully, he froze. The three noticed Jecra standing stiffly by the door, Garlude about to ask what was wrong before he turned. Worry was evident on Jecra's face.

"Um, guys...I think we _may_ have a problem..."

* * *

**A/N: As always, I'm up to questions, comments, and concerns, so feel free to review! Critiques on errors are welcomed as well. Alerts, favorites, and reviews can only help speed up the next chapter and raise my morale, so please do so!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5: Good Night

**Description: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about MK's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs.**

**Rated T for future blood, violence, and character death**

**Disclaimer: Trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective owners, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. I do not own any character in this story, only the plot line. My OCs are mine, but their idea is based on Nintendo characters.**

**_italics_ = thoughts**

**_'italics'_ = telekinetic speech**

******A/N: I have done a rewrite of this story, and by that I mean I went back and fixed any errors in the previous chapters. Most of those were just spelling/grammer errors, but a few other small key things were changed. I suggest you reread the previous chapters before reading this one, if not only to refresh your memory of what is going on since it has been awhile between chapters. If you don't wish to do so, there is only one key piece of info you need to know. I did add it to where the Prince now has a crown. Doesn't seem like much I know, but it will play a small role in the next chapter so I need it. **

******Anyways, here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_- CH 5: Good Night -_

It just so happened that right next to the stables was the hangar, bright industrial-styled lights lighting up the inside of the building. Ships from the size of simple cargo ships to full on armored warships were stored in the expansive metal building. Said hanger was currently full of the entire demon beast population on the planet that was not currently fighting the GSA on the other side of the castle. The beasts were huddled in large groups of lines as they waited for their turn to load one of the many space ships. The sound of a massive engine would break out over the sound of the countless gathered demon beasts as a space ship would suddenly lift off the ground before jetting out the retracted ceiling and into space.

Jecra, Garlude, Wolfwrath, and the Prince were currently all huddled at the entrance of the abandoned stable, peeking around the doorway at the hangar as they tried to think on a plan of action. There was no way they could just sneak past the all the demon beasts and hijack a getaway ship, but there was no way they could fight their way through either. Seeing as the better option of the two was to trying to sneak aboard a ship undetected that is what they planned on trying.

Garlude and Jecra took the lead, keeping down low as they dashed over to the side of the hanger, being sure to stick to the shadows. With their backs pressed to the cold metal of the hangar wall, the recruits peeked around the corner. They stood watching for awhile as some demon beasts lumbered by, waiting for them to pass before they moved forward. A large group of metal cargo boxes were right around the corner, and if they could sprint the short distance without getting detected, they would be that much closer to their goal. Taking a deep breath, not sure if they would get a better chance, the two recruits sprinted forward silently, their lungs burning as they begged themselves to run faster. With the boxes only a few feet away, they dived forward, landing on the ground and freezing as they listened for shouts or alarms. There was none.

Garlude released her breathe she didn't realize she was holding as relief washed over her. They hadn't been spotted. Getting to her feet, she turned to face the way they had come from, spotting Wolfwrath peeking around the corner. The red demon beast glanced over at the other demon beasts nervously, before she sprinted over to join the GSA soldiers, the Prince riding on her back as he hugged tightly to her, trying to keep low. While if Jecra and Garlude got caught, they would be killed with out question. If the Prince was caught out of his room against his dad's order, he would be scolded. That was something he didn't really want, especially since it would probably mean he couldn't play with Wolfwrath anymore.

The two demon beasts managed not to get spotted as well as they joined the two recruits in their hiding place, the Prince hopping off Wolfwrath's back and peeking around the far side of the cargo boxes. Demon beasts of all sizes were scurrying around in a hurry as they loaded into the space ships, some of them carrying heavy boxes full of who knows what. At this rate the demon beats would be loaded up and gone within a couple of minutes. They didn't have much time to make their move.

Red eyes scanned the area, before locking on to an empty small transport ship that was close by. There were no demon beasts loading into it for some reason, and the ship was only two ships over. Of course both of those ships in the way were lengthy battleships, but still. The only problem was the countless demon beasts that were mingling between them and the ship. If only they had a distraction of some sort…a large grin appeared on the Prince's face, his two tiny fangs flashing as he thought to himself.

_Oh this is going to be fun! _

_..._

Blade swinging right and left to block the attacks aimed to kill him, Sir Arthur growled in frustration, muscles aching with the strain put on them. Blood dripped down onto the dry dusty dirt below, staining the cracked ground crimson. A deep cut ran along his arm, the wound still bleeding profusely. Ignoring the throbbing injury, Sir Arthur swept his sword, successfully decapitating a demon beast. Three more demon beasts quickly took its spot. The GSA couldn't hold off much longer.

A flash of blue to his left caused the green warrior to turn, blade raised to strike before he halted as he saw who it was. Sir Galahand glanced at him from the side of his mask, sword drawn as he nodded at Sir Arthur. The green puffball noticed in alarm how the other's gloves were stained red from blood before he realized it was from where Sir Galahand had been helping pull off the wound soldiers from the battlefield. Needing assistance, Sir Arthur didn't argue with Sir Galahand's aid, despite it being against his orders, as he nodded back at the sky blue puffball, turning to be back to back with him. Together, the two used tag team attacks and soon the attacking demon beasts were vanquished, giving the two a momentary break to collect themselves.

"We need to retreat," Sir Galahand stated, raising his voice over the sound of battle. Sir Arthur glanced over to the chaotic battleground, lavender eyes wondering over to where Nightmare was laughing hysterically, dark energy enveloping the area around him. He tried not to think about the countless GSA soldiers that he was probably slaughtering right now. Growling again in frustration, Sir Arthur nodded reluctantly in agreement.

"Where is Sir Galacta? He should of returned by now!" Sir Arthur snarled, eyes darting around the battlefield as he searched for the fuchsia colored puffball. Had Sir Galacta failed his mission? Had the countless lives they sacrificed for this raid been for nothing? Shaking his head in aggravation, he turned back to Sir Galahand grimly. "Tell Sir Fowlen to get the ships ready, we're leaving."

...

Having explained his plan to Garlude and Jecra, the three watched from behind the cargo boxes as Wolfwarth ran out into the group of demon beasts. She disappeared into the crowd, but it didn't take long before a massive roar shook the building.

"Who did that!" an unseen demon beast roared, sounding furious. All the demon beats nearby stopped to stare at the sound of the uproar. "You, fire-one, you'll pay for setting my tail on fire! Come here!" The sound of electricity crackling followed as a blue flash of light filled the room. A small pyro demon beast, which looked like a living flame, suddenly was launched into the sky before promptly falling back into the crowd.

"What was that for? I didn't do it!" the pyro monster squeaked out, launching a fireball at its attacker. The fireball sped past a tyrannosaurus rex like monster that was crackling with electricity, presumably the one that attacked the pyro monster in the first place, before it smashed with a loud bang into the back of a huge metal demon beast. The demon beast slowly turned around, a huge mace in its hand.

"Masher…" the demon beast's deep robotic voice called out slowly before the monster spun and launched its mace at the pyro monster. "…Smash!" The mace knocked into multiple demon beasts in its path before it smashed into the pyro monster. It was a domino effect after that as the room broke out into a full on war, the demon beasts going at each other with tooth and nail. Laughing hysterically, the Prince glanced over at Garlude and Jecra. They were watching the scene in surprise, grins slowly spreading on their faces.

"Let's go!" the Prince shouted, eagerly dashing out of the protective cover of the cargo boxes and into the fray of mayhem. Garlude and Jecra followed much more reluctantly, cautious of any stray attacks that might head their way. And stray attacks there were, causing the three to have to constantly dodge the ranged attacks left and right. The Prince seemed uncaring to all the attacks that went his way as he easily dodged them with a smirk on his face, his cape waving back and forth madly as its owner swerved rapidly. The two recruits had a much more difficult time avoiding getting killed by the stray attacks and were forced to go at a much slower pace, having to jump backwards suddenly as a fireball exploded right in front of them.

Too busy laughing and dodging as he ran underneath the first warship, the Prince didn't notice the large demon beast until he ran right into it, face smashing into a tan fur covered leg. Falling to his bottom, causing his crown to become crooked, the Prince looked up into red eyes that glared down at him, light glistening off thick impermeable purple and gold armor the beast was wearing. The demon beast, Mistahi, flicked her ears back threateningly as she swiped her paw at the Prince. The paw swept towards him before it curled around him, pulling the Prince closer. Mistahi's head lowered till it was even with the Prince before it suddenly nuzzled against him lovingly. Mistahi made low murmurs and croons similar to the sounds a mother bear would make to her precious cub as she continued to nuzzle her muzzle against the Prince.

Smiling, the Prince reached up to straighten his crown before he hugged her muzzle the best he could, his tiny arms not even coming close to wrapping around her powerful jaws. As he hugged Mistahi, one of his assigned protectors and the only being other than his father he felt affection towards, the Prince noticed how she was guarding the entrance to the warship that he had just ran underneath. Looking at it from the corner of his vision, he recognized it as Nightmare's personal ship.

Suddenly, Mistahi's tan ear's twitched in alarm, and she jerked her head up, a low growl coming from her throat as she stepped forward, her leg protectively hiding the Prince from view. Jecra and Garlude were running towards them, looking back in panic as the blindly sprinted forward, their armor covered in tiny scratches and scorch marks. They looked forward, only to come to a screeching halt when they saw Mistahi posed to attack right in front of them. The Prince quickly ran out in front of her, hands raised in panic to stop her from attacking. Paw half raised to strike, Mistahi slowly lowered it, tilting her head in confusion.

"Mistahi stop! These are, uh….my pets!" the Prince exclaimed as he waved his hands, hearing Jecra and Garlude huff in anger behind him. "We're playing a game. Don't hurt them!" Relief washed over the Prince as Mistahi sat down in submission, giving him one last nudge of her muzzle in affection. The Prince was so close to helping the two recruits escape and to winning this little game of his, he didn't want the recruits to die and for him to lose the game.

Gesturing for Garlude and Jecra to follow, the Prince resumed running, the three no longer having to dodge stray attacks since the warship they had just reached acted as a blocker. Sprinting, the Prince soon reached the wheels of the next warship before he suddenly stopped as he realized he was alone again. Looking back the way he had come, he saw that the two recruits were frozen half way, eyes locked onto something in the distance. The Prince followed their gaze, red eyes landing on a tiny prisoner ship that was right across the way. Three tiny demon beasts were standing guard beside it, their attention focused on the fighting demon beats as they watched in amusement. Running up to the recruits, the Prince tugged on Garlude's shoulder.

"Come on! What are you waiting for! We need to go now!" Garlude shrugged out of the Prince's grip, pointing over to the prisoner ship.

"Over there, that is a prisoner ship, correct?" Garlude questioned, eyes still lingering on said ship.

"So?" the Prince pressed, getting irritated.

"The rest of our team got captured earlier. They probably are on that ship. We need to help them," Garlude stated as she started to walk towards the ship. The Prince quickly dashed in front of her, spreading his wings and blocking her way.

"Look, you're lucky I'm able to help you two escape, okay? There is no way we'll be able to help them too!" the Prince explained. Garlude, who hadn't moved her eyes away from the prisoner ship even when the Prince blocked her view, looked down to meet the Prince's gaze.

"We have to try." The Prince studied Garlude, his red eyes searching hers. What he saw was raw determination. Nothing was going to convince her otherwise. Sighing, he folded his wings and shook his head.

"Fine, but we need a plan, and we need a plan quick." Jecra glanced at the Prince, before he glanced back towards the ship.

"We'll need weapons. Those guards," Jecra pointed to the ones stationed by the prisoner ship, "have swords. If we can somehow get their weapons, Garlude and I can handle any other guards that might be on the ship. The ship isn't that big, so it shouldn't be heavily guarded." The Prince was listening intently to Jecra's plan, and when he finished the Prince nodded.

"We'll need to sneak closer to the ship first. Then, I can handle two of the guards outside to get you your weapons so you can do the rest. We need to make this fast, before they get the fighting demon beasts in order. I think there will be keys on one of the guards to the prison cells, so be sure to get those. Once you free your friends make a run to the getaway ship. That model of ship is very simple, so it won't be difficult to operate at all," the Prince added to the plan.

"Sounds like a great plan to me!" Jecra smiled, patting the Prince on the shoulder. Surprised, the Prince gave a sheepish smile back. "Let's do this!"

...

Garlude and Jecra pressed their backs to the side of the spaceship, the three guards right around the corner. The Prince stood beside them, peaking around the corner of the ship as he studied the guards. Sneaking up to the ship undetected had been easy, but now came the hard part. The Prince turned, making sure the two others were ready, and they nodded in response. The next second, the Prince suddenly vanished, starling Jecra and Garlude, before he appeared next to one of the guards that was just a bit taller than him. The guard didn't even have time to jump in surprise before the Prince slammed his wing into him without a sound, the power of the blow knocking the guard out as it slumped to the ground with a clang.

One of the other guards turned at the sound, a look of confusion on its face as it walked over to the unconscious guard, the Prince nowhere to be seen. The guard poked the other guard with its foot in confusion, before he was suddenly slammed forward into the ground hard. The Prince had teleported above him, diving down and kicking the guard in the head hard. The guard joined the other on the ground. Smirking in victory, the Prince waved at Jecra and Garlude to come forward, and the two ran over silently, grabbing the swords of the fallen guards.

The last guard was standing half-asleep as it leaned against the ship, its back to the three. Yawning, it glanced sideways, eyes widening when he saw them from the corner of his vision. He stumbled to his feet quickly, helmet almost falling off as he ran into the ship hastily, the sound of keys jingling following him. Garlude and Jecra quickly took action, and they dashed after the retreating demon beast, the Prince walking after them slowly.

With their new weapons drawn, the two recruits ran into the inside of the ship. The ship was very small, consisting of only one passageway. Four separate prison cells holding about ten occupants each were on the sides, their inhabitants jumping to their feet and running to the bars in excitement as they saw the two recruits. On the far side was the control panel, and that was the fleeing guards destination. The two guards that had been dozing near the control panel stumbled to their feet when they heard the panicked guard, quickly drawing their swords when they saw Garlude and Jecra.

Each taking up a guard to fight, the two young warriors locked swords with the demon beasts. Jecra pushed his sword against the guard's shoving the guard backward with his brute strength. Slashing at the guard, Jecra's attack was hastily blocked before a counter-attack was swung his way. Quickly leaning backwards, the enemy's blade sweeping by only inches away, Jecra jumped backwards, eyes locking onto the guard that had the keys. The guard had just reached the control panel and was rapidly typing away.

"Stop him!" Jecra shouted towards the Prince who was standing behind them watching, before Jecra was forced to defend himself again form the attacking demon beast guard. The Prince hesitated, before nodding, disappearing in a flash. Appearing on top of the control panel, the guard jumped backwards in fright at his sudden appearance.

"What…Prince?" the demon beast questioned in shock, before he was knocked out cold by a powerful kick to the face. The Prince hopped off of his perch, snatching up the keys that were on the fallen guard's waist. Looking up, he found that Jecra and Garlude had managed to defeat the other guards already, the two demon beasts slumped on the floor unconscious. He tossed them the keys, Jecra catching them and fumbling with the lock on the nearest prison cell. The cells were full of a collection of GSA soldiers that were now prisoners of war, not just the recruits from their group. Having difficulties with the lock, there was finally a small click and the door swung open. At the same time shouts could be heard coming from outside. They had been discovered.

Jecra tossed the keys to Garlude who was standing at the locked door of another cell, and she hurriedly went to work on the lock. The shouts were getting closer as Garlude managed to unlock the second cell. She ran to another cell to start to unlock it too, but Jecra spoke up.

"We don't have time for anymore, Garlude. We need to go now," Jecra said, not wanting to abandon the remaining prisoners but knowing they had no choice. Garlude nodded grimly in compliance, looking at the remaining prisoners who were still captured. They looked disheartened, but determination shown in their eyes as most of them nodded in understandance.

Acting quick, Jecra and Garlude led the freed prisoners out of the ship in a hurry, the Prince chasing after them. Almost instantly, a hail of laser bullets rained upon them as the group took off running towards the getaway ship. The guards that had been stationed at the other ships were chasing after them eagerly, laser guns shooting at them haphazardly. One of the freed prisoners cried out in pain as they fell, one of the bullets hitting them in the back. Another prisoner called out, and they too crashed to the floor. Helpless to aid their fallen comrades, the others kept running for their lives, not looking back.

Seeing the danger, the Prince unfolded his wings and took to the air in an attempt to escape the crossfire, following after the GSA soldiers through the air. He watched as one of the fleeing prisoners started to trip as a bullet hit her in the leg, before she hobbled to her feet, limping as she ran desperately towards the ship that was only a few yards away now. Grinning in anticipation of winning this game of his, the Prince started to veer off, before a sharp pain racked his body. It was a foreign feeling, one that the Prince did not like at all; he had never felt pain before. A bullet had torn through the tender membrane of one of his wings, and he started to plummet towards the ground, wings useless.

He instinctively closed his eyes as the sped towards the ground, waiting for the jarring impact. Instead, he fell roughly onto something that was soft and warm. Shooting his eyes open, the Prince leaned up to see Wolfwrath looking over her shoulder at him in worry. She had caught him on her back, and now she was trying to escape the crossfire as well.

_'I told you this wasn't a good idea, Prince,' _Wolfwrath stated as she faced forwards, head low as she increased in speed.

Groaning, the Prince silently agreed before his eyes shot open wide, hands feeling the top of his head for his crown. Glancing back in alarm, he saw the glistening sparkle of the precious crown laying on the ground from when it had fallen off when he had fallen himself. There was no way to retrieve his treasured crown that was given to him by his father right now as guards rushed past the beloved object. Saddened eyes darted over to where the remaining GSA soldiers had made it to the ship, the engine revving up and disturbing the surrounding air as the loading hatch closed with a hiss. Smirking at the fact that he had successfully won the game, the Prince didn't get to bask in the feeling for long as he had to duck low against Wolfwrath to avoid a shot, the laser shooting mere inches above his head.

"They think we're one of them!" the Prince shouted in panic as he glanced back at the guards who somehow mistook him for a GSA soldier. Wolfwrath realized it too, and picking up her pace, she veered off to the side and ducked behind a ship for cover. The firing ceased, but the sound of rushing footsteps still remained as the guards neared. Thinking fast, Wolfwrath ran over to the closest hiding spot, which happened to be a tiny grey ship that was in the shape of a star. The small ship looked ancient and was covered in a thick layer of dust. Luckily the cockpit of it was open, and Wolfwrath helped to raise him up to it as the Prince crawled the rest of the way in. Wincing as he bumped his injured wing against the ship, the Prince sat down in the single seat before he realized that there was only enough room for one.

"Wolfwrath, I-" the Prince started to say in alarm, not wanting to leave his friend.

_'I know, Prince. I'll find another place to hide, just stay hidden. I'll come get you when it all settles down."_ With that, Wolfwrath was gone. The footsteps nearly upon him, the Prince hastily reached up and closed the glass hatch, pressing down low in the seat. Catching his breath, the Prince jumped slightly in surprise as an unknown female voice spoke up, coming from the dashboard of the ship.

"Star Warrior DNA detected. Initializing automatic launch sequence," the smooth female voice before the ship suddenly veered to life right as the guards rushed around the corner and came into view. The ship started to slowly move forward towards the armed guards as the Prince sat upright, wide-eyed and helpless. The guards had to jump to the side to avoid being hit as the ship suddenly jerked forward in a burst of speed, causing the Prince to be pressed against the back of the seat, before the ship started to curve upwards, no longer grounded. Sitting upright in horror, the Prince started to push random buttons, trying to get the ship to stop as it rose higher into the air and out of the hangar. The ship picked up speed as it shot past the slower space ships full of demon beasts that were departing, the ship veering left and right to avoid them.

Leaning into the glass desperately, the Prince watched as the castle, his home and the only place he had ever known, become smaller and smaller, the ship passing through the atmosphere of the planet. Blinking blankly, his eyes wandered over to see the ship the recruits had hijacked, and he watched as it joined the growing mass of GSA ships that were right out of orbit of the planet. Mind numb in shock, he glanced back down at where his home should have been, but the ship was too far into orbit now and he stared dully at the dark planet below.

Realization of what just happened washed over the Prince. Everything he had ever known was gone, left behind on the planet that was drifting far below him. And it all had been taken away from him in a blink of an eye. A small tear formed in the corner of his eye as he sniffed, pressing against the glass of the cockpit in a futile attempt to get the ship to go back. Why couldn't he of just stayed put in his room like his father told him to. If he had only listened he could still be playing with Wolfwrath...He could still be cuddled safely in the fur of his protector Mistahi...The Prince's belly growled...He wouldn't be hungry. A sob escaped his throat as the tear fell down his cheek...He could still be held protectively in the loving embrace of his daddy as he told him stories about the universe. Why hadn't he just listened!

The female voice from before snapped him out of his saddening thoughts.

"Activating hibernation mode," the soothing voice said from the speakers of the ship, pink gas seeping out of the vents. The Prince suddenly felt tired, slumping back into the seat as he gave a yawn, eyes flickering. Quickly falling into the unnatural slumber forced onto him, he was almost out completely when the female voice spoke again. "Good night, young Star Warrior." The last thing the Prince thought before he went under was of all the times his dad had said good night to him...

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**A/N: ****Okay, so I'm so sorry about this chapter being so late. I could ramble on as of why, but here is the short version. Let's just say the combination of losing the written rough draft of the chapter and not finding it for a month, waiting for my editor (aka my brother) to return home (he is a part-time volunteer firefighter so he often sleeps at the fire station when he works) so he can check the finished chapter before publishing it, my unmotivation of wanting to write (aka my laziness), and the fact that I then got overly ambitious and decided to write around five other stories in the mean time (only one of which I ended up posting on here. It is about the show Lego Ninjago) all adds up quickly. Good news? Well, my willpower to finish this story faster has returned, so now the chapters should be coming out faster since I'm needing to get quite a few done by christmas to go with what I have planned.**

**I will be scapping the whole 'new chapter every 15 days' thing since I completely failed at it. I'll be publishing them as soon as I complete them, which hopefully will be no more than two weeks at time. I am hoping to do a chapter a week now, but no promises.**

**So, I could have sworn I mentioned this earlier, but now I can't seem to find it, but the Prince (Meta Knight) was created using three things? One was dark matter which is used to make all the demon beasts, and the second was Nightmare's own DNA, giving him some of Nightmare's powers. Can anyone guess what the third thing is? It is greatly hinted in this chapter. Leave a review on what you think it is, and I might tell you if you are right. Also, anyone realize the ship the Prince is in, anyone? (hint hint)**

**Also, another one of my OCs was mentioned in this chapter. That would be Sir Fowlen. He is the Air Commander of the GSA and is in charge of the ships. Also, he was actually first seen in chapter 2. The unknown orange and green puffball Sir Arthur talks to in that chapter is actually him.**

**Lastly, remember my OC Nick? You know, the one who got the others captured and all? Well, I did a picture of him on paint, and I posted it on my Deviant Art account. I would love it if you were to take a look at it. Just find my account on there (LadyGalaxious) and it'll be there. :)**

**As always, I'm up to questions, comments, and concerns, so feel free to review! Critiques on errors are welcomed as well. Alerts, favorites, and reviews can only help speed up the next chapter and raise my morale, so please do so!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 6: Gone

**Description: The renowned Star Warrior, Meta Knight, didn't always fight alongside the Galaxy Soldier Army. Instead, he was against them, working for his creator. My belief about MK's past. Includes Sir Arthur, Jecra, Garlude, Yamikage, Galactic Knight, a main OC, and a few lesser role OCs.**

**Rated T for blood, violence, and character death**

**Disclaimer: Trademarks and copyrights are the properties of their respective owners, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. I do not own any character in this story, only the plot line. My OCs are mine, but their idea is based on Nintendo characters.**

**_italics_ = thoughts**

**_'italics'_ = telekinetic speech**

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_- CH 6: Gone -_

Nightmare sneered victoriously as he watched the GSA retreat, sending dark energy at some of the retreating soldiers, the ones hit by it dropping dead instantly. Wrapping his cloak around himself, Nightmare scanned the battlefield, eyes locking onto a soldier that was lagging behind the rest. Disappearing into a cloud of haze, Nightmare teleported right in front of the soldier and snatched up the poor soul in his claws. The soldier struggled uselessly, trying to wiggle out of his grasp as Nightmare ignored him and turned to where the GSA ships were taking off into space. He could have easily chased after the retreating space ships and destroyed all those who were inside, but he chose not to. He had more pressing matters to take care of. Besides, as much as the GSA were a nuisance, they were also fun to toy with. He'd let them live for now.

Nightmare vanished again into a cloud of dark particles, captured GSA soldier in tow, before appearing in front of the grand doors that led to the Prince's chambers. Ignoring the soldier that was looking like he was about to puke from the effect of the teleportation, Nightmare pushed the doors open easily and glanced around the room for his son. Mouth turning into a frown when he didn't see the purple puffball, he glanced up to see if he was on the chandelier again. The Prince was not however, and Nightmare grew concerned.

"Prince?" Nightmare called out, drifting over to the other side of the room and glancing down the corridor that split off from the main room. The hallway was empty though, and Nightmare wandered back over towards the door, scanning the room for the Prince. "I brought you your meal," Nightmare called out again, waiting for a response that he never got.

"Maybe he's already been loaded onto the ship," Nightmare mumbled out loud in thought, giving the room one last scan before he disappeared once again. His shades quickly changed in setting to adjust to the increased lighting as he appeared inside the bright hangar. Most of the ships had already departed, and only a few demon beasts were left waiting for their turn to load into the handful of ships that remained.

Silently, Nightmare started to head towards his personal warship, thinking that his son must be there, when he suddenly stopped, a tiny object sparkling in the light catching his eye. Leaning forward, Nightmare picked the small object up with two claws of his free hand, raising it up till it was level with his visor so he could inspect it. Light reflected off the purple gems engraved in the little gold crown that belonged to the Prince. What was his crown doing here?

Pondering on the subject, Nightmare glanced to the side when he sensed someone approaching, slowly straightening up and safely tucking the crown away in his cape when he saw it was General Dracul.

"What is it?" Nightmare barked as General Dracul bowed slightly before him, Nightmare's patience wearing thin.

"I have come to report to you that, while you were busy fighting, I managed to capture a small squadron of GSA soldiers that had been sent to infiltrate the castle. One of them was a Star Warrior, even," General Dracul said, looking up to see Nightmare's reaction. He expected to see approval for his outstanding job, but Nightmare's face gave away nothing so he continued. "We secured the Star Warrior in one of the special confinement cells in your ship, while the others were locked in the one of the prison ships."

"Did you get the reason why they were in the castle?" Nightmare pressed, only half listening as he glanced around the hangar again for his son.

"Yes, they were sent to assassinate the Prince, my lord," General Dracul replied as he rose to his feet. Nightmare froze at those words, concern rising in his gut as he glanced down at General Dracul.

"Have you seen the Prince since then?" Nightmare questioned hastily.

"Uh, yes," General Dracul responded, slightly confused on why Nightmare would ask. "The last time I saw him was when I tossed two of the recruits in his room for his meal. I was about to go retrieve him to escort him to the ships in fact. Why?" Nightmare's eyes narrowed, grip subconsciously tightening on the GSA soldier in his grasp as he clenched his fists, earning a shout of pain from the captured warrior.

"You haven't loaded him onto the ships yet?" Nightmare hissed, ignoring the sickening crunch of bones coming from his fist as he crushed the GSA soldier in anger. If they hadn't loaded the Prince onto the ships yet, then where was he? Uncharacteristic panic started to swell up as Nightmare's mind raced, Nightmare hiding the growing fear for his son with his rage.

"Uh, no…There was an issue and it delayed our departure because well…some of the prisoners escaped. They stole one of our ships and got away," General Dracul explained hesitantly, shuffling in place nervously. In an instant, Nightmare tossed the lifeless body of the crushed GSA warrior away, snatching up General Dracul in his claws. Bringing the cowering general dangerously close to his face, Nightmare growled threateningly, baring his sharp teeth.

"And you didn't think that just maybe the Prince could have been in danger this whole time? That the GSA might of just possibly succeeded in their mission and took him captive?" Nightmare seethed almost at a whisper, his grip tightening as General Dracul panicked. Nightmare refused to believe that his son might have been killed. When General Dracul didn't answer, Nightmare shot out dark energy from his palm, the demon beast general withering and screaming in pain. Nightmare ceased his attack, watching as General Dracul collected himself, the demon beast breathing hard, before he tightened his squeeze even more.

"Master, don't-" General Dracul wheezed out, his lungs starting to crush.

"I think you've outlived your usefulness, General," Nightmare snarled, narrowing his eyes as he crushed Dracul in his claws, shocking him with his dark energy at the same time. General Dracul's pain filled screams filled the hanger as he thrashed around in Nightmare's grasp, before eerie silence replaced it, the general slumping over dead. Dropping the general without a second glance, Nightmare stormed over to his warship, the bear demon beast stationed outside following him without hesitation as the hatch closed behind them.

"Start to the ship! We're going after the GSA. They have something very important of mine." Nightmare barked as he entered the control room, the demon beasts stationed at the control panels of the ship jumping from their seats, rapidly pushing buttons in fear of their life. Taking up his place on the slightly raised dais in the center of the control room, Nightmare wrapped his cloak around himself as he fumed with rage, dark energy seething around him like an aura. Glancing out the giant glass window that composed the front half of the control room, Nightmare growled. Surely his son was okay…right? The Prince probably was just playing another game of hide and seek with him, and Nightmare would find him waiting back at the castle.

The ship vibrated slightly, the thrusters activating as the ship started to lift off, swiftly increasing in elevation. Soon, the dark vastness of space greeted from the other side of the window, the ship now in orbit. An armada of GSA ships could be seen gathering in the distance, the main ship surrounded by multiple smaller ships.

"Tell the other ships to target the GSA ships immediately. Make sure it is very clear that no one is to fire. The GSA has something of very importance, and I don't want it harmed. If any ship does fire against my order, open fire on that ship and destroy it. I want all the GSA ships seized and boarded, and then once we have what we need, have their ships destroyed." The demon beasts did so without question, contacting the other NME ships that were still in orbit. One of the demon beasts stopped in their hurried typing of buttons, staring at the console where a light was flashing red, before turning to Nightmare.

_'Master, one of the GSA is trying to contact us,' _the monster said through telekinesis, waiting for an order.

"Open up the link," Nightmare instructed without turning to look at the demon beast. The demon beast nodded in compliance, turning back and typing some more before the large glass window flickered to change to a screen. Lavender eyes stared from the screen, belonging to none other than GSA leader himself, Sir Arthur. Nightmare didn't give him time to talk though.

"You, give me back what you stole from me!" Nightmare hissed threateningly, clenching his fists that were holding his cape. The Star Warrior leader blinked in confusion, lavender eyes glancing to the side where another Star Warrior must have been standing off-screen, before they glanced back at Nightmare.

"What are you talking about?" Sir Arthur questioned.

"You know full well what I mean! Give him back now!" Nightmare barked, the dark energy surrounding him intensifying as he grew angrier.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," Sir Arthur replied simply, glancing off-screen again as another voice spoke up.

"Sir, the enemy ships have targeted us. Shall we enter warp speed?" the unknown speaker inquired. Sir Arthur seemed to be alarmed slightly, before he regained his composure, nodding in answer as he turned back to face the screen when he heard Nightmare screech in outrage.

"Don't you dare, Arthur!" Nightmare shrieked, seeming to be panicking. Nightmare didn't have time to continue though as the screen went fuzzy, the connection cut. The window resumed to its transparency, revealing the GSA ships for only a second before the ships launched into warp speed, disappearing. Squawking, Nightmare let his cover slip as his mouth hung open slight, dark energy around him subsiding as he hovered there in realization, sadness washing over him. His cape slipped down slightly as his grip on it lessened, before he regained his façade, shoving the emotions away. Regaining his grip on his cape, mouth pressed tightly in a straight line, he stood there in silence, eyes lingering on where the GSA ships had been only moments before, before he closed his shaded eyes with a deep breath.

Before, he could always close his eyes and use his powers to sense his son's energy. No matter how much distance separated him and his son, Nightmare could always detect the Prince. The Prince's presence was always evident by a warm purple glow, but now….now there was nothing but cold darkness in response, leaving Nightmare feeling empty inside. His son was gone, truly gone. He was not just kidnapped, he was d...

Nightmare shook his head, opening his eyes and staring blankly through the window and into space, remaining quite. The demon beasts in the same room shifted uncertainly, glancing fearfully at Nightmare occasionally, uneasy with the unusual silence of their master. Finally, one of the demon beasts gathered their courage as they took a step slightly towards Nightmare, keeping bowed low incase Nightmare snapped.

_'Master, what do you wish us to do now?'_ the demon beast asked nervously, watching as Nightmare slowly registered his words and looked down at him. Nightmare blinked at the demon beast, before looking back out towards space.

"Just…put in the new space station as the destination. I'll be in my private quarters. No one is to disturb me till we get there." With that, Nightmare vanished into a mist of darkness.

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**A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to all who have either faved, followed, or reviewed on this story. You have no clue how much of a difference it makes. **

**As for the question I asked last chapter, on what Meta Knight was made out of...he was made from dark matter, Nightmare's DNA, and...you guess it! Star Warrior's DNA! But wait, where did he get that Star Warrior DNA from? You'll just have to wait and see I guess! Also, yes, the ship he is riding in is the same ship that was seen in a flashback from the tv show. I believe it was from episode four? It is the grey star ship that Meta Knight is seen driving, and is the same style of ship as Kirby's, only it's silver instead of yellow. But wait a second again! Why did Nightmare have an old star ship lying around the base? Hmm...**

**Good job to those who guessed what the third thing that was used to make Meta Knight was. I did make that one pretty easy since I did write it in the chapter kind of obviously. Hm, but can you guess where the DNA and star ship came from? I'll give you this much, Meta Knight was indeed created completely by Nightmare in this story. He wasn't orginally a Star Warrior that Nightmare turned into a demon beast, so you can scratch that one out! (****at least for my story, I know there are some great stories out there that do have it where he was turned by Nightmare).**

**As always, I'm up to questions, comments, and concerns, so feel free to review! Critiques on errors are welcomed as well. Alerts, favorites, and reviews can only help speed up the next chapter and raise my morale, so please do so!**

**Thank you for reading!**


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